Getting Your Vacation Home Ready for Holiday Rental

Friday, October 5, 2018

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Now is the best time to prep your vacation home for rentals during the holiday season, starting with a call to your independent insurance agent. Making sure your property insurance is current and coverage is complete should be priority one. And while it may seem too soon to start to prepare, it isn’t. Giving yourself the full month of October to evaluate what needs to be done is a smart idea to have it ready by November. After all, if anything major is needed beyond fix-ups, like replacing appliances, repairing water damage, roof problems, and such, you’ll have plenty of time to get it resolved.

When you rent out your vacation home or apartment, make sure it’s equipped to make your guests stay as nice as possible. Here are a few quick tips to check off your list:

clean towels and linens (not necessarily the same ones your family uses, but you should have a set of at least two towels, hand towels, and washcloths for each guest

extra blankets and pillows

an ironing board and iron

dishes, silverware, and pots and pans for the maximum number of guests you host

kitchen towels

a microwave oven

coffee maker, teapot, and toaster

cleaning supplies including hand soap, dishwashing liquid

basic toiletries like toilet paper, paper towels, and tissues

a first-aid kit

a fire extinguisher

functioning smoke detectors

all remotes necessary to operate the television and other devices

trash can liners

pillow protectors and mattress pads

extra light bulbs

flashlight

Most guests will expect to have access to the Internet. If it’s not available, make sure you let them know up front.

The more written instructions you leave for your guests the better, such as how to operate various appliances and devices. If you have ‘house rules’ (and you should) make sure they are clearly understood and posted somewhere on the premises. Things like whether smoking is allowed or if you allow pets and what specific pet rules there are.

Finally, be sure to leave your contact information -- email and phone -- if your guests need to get in touch with you. Also provide local emergency numbers and the address and number of the nearest hospital.

Brewery owners know the importance of comprehensive insurance coverage to protect and grow their Brewery business. If you’re just getting started or want to find out some details before you move forward, this should help.